I PR’ed last week.
No, I didn’t win a race. Or run the fastest mile. Or run a marathon.
But I ran 35 miles last week!
Since leaving for North Carolina in June, my distance has taken a hit. The heat and the humidity of summer in the South interrupted the increase in distance for my runs. Just a few miles taxed my lunges, legs, and had sweat absolutely dripping everywhere.
The travel since hasn’t helped get back to my training plan. A week in Vegas heat for BlogFest meant no running. I snuck a few trail runs in and then we were off to the Bay Area for EMPOWER Race. Organizing an event doesn’t lend itself to partaking really, but we snuck in a handful of runs.
For some reason, the stars (or rather, the sun and the moon (eclipse jokes)) aligned this last week and I got in some of the best runs of my life.
It started with Flex & Flow run club last week: 6 road miles along the Skidmore Bluffs. I was out with 4 super speedy runners, so I took it at my own pace. But it was nice to be out with my people on one of our regular routes.
On Tuesday I headed out for the trails. A few miles in, including the first mile straight uphill, and I was dying. I kept fighting the urge to turn around and call it. My mind kept wanting to wander, and I kept trying to force it back to focus on my breath and my pace. I finally gave in and let my mind wander. I allowed it to daydream. Next thing I knew, 8 miles and done. Except for that first hill, the rest of the 7 miles were sub 10 minute mile pace, and a few were even sub 9 minute mile pace. Woah. It worked.
Thursday rolls around, my legs feeling surprisingly good, and I wanted to test this new strategy. In the back of my mind I would have loved to run farther than Tuesday, but I was just heading out to get some miles in. At the top of the initial mile-long hill (it always kills me!) I started to let my mind wander and daydream once again. It worked! 10 miles later, mostly sub 10 minute mile pace, and I’m not hobbling back to my car!
Saturday, run club day again. We headed out for Timothy Lake at Mt Hood. The write up predicted 15 miles yet the trail head said 13 miles. My legs were feeling good but I was aware that I was hitting the trails with some serious runners (aka, some of my friends that willingly run 50-100 miles for fun). I set out with the mantra “slow and steady wins the race” at the forefront of my mind. Maybe not wins, but survives at least. Holy moly did I survive! Turns out the trail around the lake was 11 miles. Less than we thought but still a lot of miles, and I felt great!
This was by far one of the best runs EVER! A rolling trail around a beautiful lake with an amazing group of people, and I loved pretty much every step. And devoured a burger afterwards like it was my job…
That made for my 35 mile week! I can’t believe I got all those miles in and felt as good as I did. Thank goodness for ice, tennis balls, and magnesium-rich Gerolsteiner Sparkling Mineral Water. I may be skewed having a ultra marathon runner as one of my best friends, but I’m pretty stoked on this run streak.
Bonus! Monday rolls around yesterday and after teaching HIIT Yoga I still wanted to get out for a run. I kept it super slow and my legs were finally feeling pretty tired, but I still got 7.5 miles in. And then proceeded to die in Jamie’s power vinyasa class last night.
I have no idea what the trick of last week was, but I’m hoping to keep the streak going!